Tale of Genji: A Reader's Guide (Tuttle Classics)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.19 (835 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 4805310847 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 192 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-11-09 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
. About the AuthorWilliam J. He has taught Japanese literature at the University of Hawaii, and is a founding member of the Humanities Group for Asian Studies. Puette, poet and lecturer, first became interested in the world of The Tale of Genji as a resident of Kyoto, where the novel is set and where he lived and studied
William J. . He has taught Japanese literature at the University of Hawaii, and is a founding member of the Humanities Group for Asian Studies. Puette, poet and lecturer, first became interested in the world of The Tale of Genji as a resident of Kyoto, where the novel is set and where he lived and studied
"Those who wish to deepen their acquaintance with Murasaki's wondrous world will certainly find Puette's guide most helpful." —The Japan TimesThis is the most complete reader's guide available on Japan's highly revered novel, the eleventh-century classic, The Tale of Genji, by Murasaki Shikibu, referred to by Nobel Laureate Yasunari Kawabata as the "highest pinnacle of Japanese literature." Written specifically to accompany the translation of the work by Arthur Waley and Edward G. The author presents brief, illustrated essays on historical, philosophical, and cultural features of the novel, and discusses such relevant aspects as the balance between the tenets of Shintoism and Buddhism, the pervasive concepts of karma in human relationships, and the poetic aspects of aware. It also charts the essential progress of The Tale of Genji and introduces the reader to the more subtle complexities, literary devices, and conventions of Lady Murasaki's Heian Japan.No longer does the reader have to try and guess the novel's cultural and historical milieu. Both general readers and literature students will find the background information contained in this "companion" indispensable to their reading and interpretation of this complex novel.. Seidensticker, this guide offers detailed summaries and thematic commentaries, as well as cross-
Buy this with Tyler's translation There IS "a detailed, modern English edition of The Tale of Genji." Royall Tyler's 2001 translation is heavily annotated and filled with illustrations of the Heian world and its artifacts mentioned throughout the novel. It is FAR superior in its translation as well to Waley's fast and loose 1935 translation and Seidensticker's workmanlike but less inspired 1976 translation. Anyone wanting to read and/or understand Genji should definitely read Tyler's translation.I can't tell from this page. Ashland, OR resident said Excellent companion book to the novel. The Tale of Genji: A Reader's Guide gives an excellent introduction and chapter by chapter guide to the often overwhelming details of characters and basic plot chronology in The Tale of Genji. The guide is helpful to read BEFORE starting The Tale of Genji and essential to keep within reach while reading the novel itself.The only downside to this concise volume is that it accentuates the need for a detailed, annotated, modern English edition of The Tale of Genji to better understand the sop. "Too many errors for my comfort" according to Avery. This is a less than ideal companion to the Tale of Genji, because it contains many factual errors and outdated claims that would not pass muster today. As far as I can tell Dr. Puette is a venerable doctor of law, labor history, and parliamentary procedure at the University of Hawai'i, but not a classical Japan scholar. Some of the errors in this book are of such a simple nature that it makes me questions whether Dr. Puette has the necessary expertise to write a guide like this.To take a r